Big park located in North Center. Hamlin Park is known for its athletic fields. It has a few baseball diamonds, as well as basketball and tennis courts, along with a pool. Also has indoor facilities like the fieldhouse and the gym. There's also a dog area where they can run around and stuff. A place that's pretty much for the neighborhood but it's still big enough for a crowd. It's best known for the athletic fields. This is a popular place for youth baseball leagues. Also offers lots of fitness programs you can sign up for. There's weightlifting, yoga, and more. It was created in 1909 by the Lincoln Park Commission. The fieldhouse was designed by architect Dwight H. Perkins. It was the most impressive of the fieldhouses he designed. This has two gyms and an assembly hall. Easily among the best places to play sports or just watch others do anything. It's got tons of fields to play on. There's baseball, basketball, and tennis among other things. read more

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This review is mostly about the pool - the playground is nice, there's a lot of area, and the Chicago Park District has programs here that we hadn't had the chance to participate in. We've been here through two summers, and unfortunately our first one most of the public pools in the city stayed closed due to a lifeguard shortage. We did come a couple times with our toddler this past summer. The obvious nice thing is it's a free pool, and the pool is pretty clean, though not heated at all. It does become a bit of a mad dash to get a chair or table to put your stuff down at once it opens so it pays to come early. However, there's one thing we learned that makes coming here extra annoying - after 45 minutes, they kick everyone out of the pool area for 15 minutes. Not just the pool, but you have to physically leave the whole area and line up back outside and wait to be let back in. Then the cycle repeats, with everyone having to leave after the 45 minutes again - and this doesn't include the where they close the whole area for a full 45 minutes in the middle of the afternoon. You definitely need to keep track of the schedule to know when to come, and be prepared for the hassle of having to jump out then back in. It's a great perk of the neighborhood, but I wish it didn't have to be so annoying. read more

Great park and the little gym is fantastic for the price. Nicest people ever. I'd skip the locker room but it's only $20/ mo no contract and such a nice setting. You can sign up online. read more

I go to this park with the kids I nanny and we love it. The pool is great in the summer and the playground offers lots of different things to do. The schedule can be a little annoying but there is a good chunk of time in the afternoons to swim and the pool is well-maintained. read more

Hamlin Park - Hamlin Park pool - Parks Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This is almost like a private pool for the people of the neighborhood. Free, safe, and with a lot of chairs for sunbathers. Great spot. Back in the day when I used to visit this area this park was run down (1990s) but now it is perhaps a model park for people interested in seeing how a city park can be transformed. Now, that all of the low income residents of the Lathrop Homes have been pushed out of the area there is not a lot of diversity here with the cost of homes in this area topping $800,000 (I remember when they were $180,000) but this rich new neighborhood base means that the city has put out chairs, and keeps this place up like a hotel pool. No there are not massages and spa treatments, but this is perhaps the best pool in the city and it is FREE. Bring a towel, a book, your sunglasses, and spend a day at a really nice pool. The city needs to do this everywhere - not only where you need $800K to buy a house. Love this place for what it is, and how it can be a model for other city parks and pools. read more

Ps. After moving to a home right down the street from Hamlin Park, I must reiterate my absolutely love and adoration of it. I had never experienced it outside of the pool, but it's just...really, the best a City park could offer. Shady old trees, ball fields galore, a dog park, tennis courts, bball courts, little leaguers in the summer making their dreams come true, a huge play park and green space for families, picnics, a big old field house (with a gym! My husband goes -- it's $20/month), that super sultry pool (I didn't make it this summer, damn)....and just the right amount of greenery to keep one sane in the city. Chalk it up, my favorite park in Chicago. Would've happily called it "near home" had my life let me! read more

The only reason I'm not giving 1 star is because the park itself is nice- when you don't need help from anyone. I've used the park for a photoshoot, hula hooping, tennis, and fitness bootcamp (from an outside company) without incident. The real issue comes when you need employee assistance. I was interested in a fitness center membership because I live so close by. The website was difficult to navigate, so I walked over to speak to someone in-person. The young lady working was so disengaged and so far from the welcome desk that I thought she was someone's wandering daughter. I finally had to call out, "DO YOU WORK HERE?" ...I hate being that person! She showed me the fitness center promptly, to be fair. However, the second I entered, the single patron inside told me that all of the treadmills were broken. Yup, they were. I asked when they would be fixed, and the girl "helping" me looked at me as if I were an alien. OK, thank you, nevermind... I stewed on it a few days, and decided the convenient location deserved another chance. I called to ask about the future of the treadmills. The employee first said "I don't know," then corrected and informed me that the cardio machines wouldn't be fixed for "six months." Excuse me?! Are the treadmills made from alien technology, or something?? Given that I want a cardio-heavy workout, I simply cannot use this facility. Nobody seems to know how or when the machines will be fixed, and no discount or additional help was offered. Everyone I've encountered in this process has seemed informed yet totally disinterested, so I'll be working out elsewhere. Will review again if I get to use the pool... read more

Oh how I adore the Hamlin Park pool. Seriously. I have been coming to this pool since the first summer I moved here 4 years ago, and it rarely, if ever, disappoints. The pool is just a short walk from my house, and they have ample lounge chairs that you may be lucky enough to snag, IF you get there in plenty of time. A line starts to form first thing in the morning, so if you want a chair, buck up and arrive no later than 15 minutes ahead of opening. It does get quite crowded on the weekends. In fact, last summer there were a number of occasions where the pool had reached capacity! People had to wait outside of the pool area until other pool goers decided they'd had enough sun for the day. Another reason to get there early. There are tons of kids and families, but they tend to stay in the shallow end. I love it because I don't have to deal with icky sand at Lake Michigan, and I can just jump in, cool off, and then get back to my chair and enjoy my summer reading. It's also...FREE. There are facilities at the park, such as showers and restrooms nearby, so you can be quite comfortable while you're there. There really is no shade, so I would highly suggest bringing some sun block or a hat. The Hamlin Park pool is what keeps me sane while living in Chicago, as it is an activity that I look so forward to once the weather actually gets nice here. I've already been here once this year, and plan on being back as often as I can! read more

I feel like I've been living a lie all of these years in Chicago and not knowing about this gem of a spot. All I have ever wanted in the heat of summer is a cold pool - and Hamlin Park is where it's at! It's free after 12 p.m. on Saturday/Sunday ($22 for the adult swim 11 - 12) but go early as once they are at capacity, you have to wait to get in. And, bring your own bevies and snacks - the vending machine is often out of water, etc. read more

POOL Pluses: 1. It's cold! 2. It's clean! 3. It's Free!!! Minuses: 1. Like another reviewer said, there aren't many lounge chairs so you'll probably end up with your towel on the concrete. 2. If you are fortunate enough to have an early afternoon weekday off in the summer, you'll likely run into a summer camp at the pool. The kids are rowdy, but if you're in it for the recreation rather than the relaxation, you'll be able to hold out until 330 when all the kids seem to go home. read more

So after YEARS of not being able to use this pool as the water was NO JOKE ice-cold. And NEVER warmed up, no matter how hot outside. It's finally become a place to take your kids, and they would actually get in the water. Unless you actually want to take ALL your kids. Because at 3:45 it turns into parents/tots only until 5p. So, if you have children of a range of ages- those over 6 yrs old have to sit in the blazing sun (no umbrellas on site) for an hour and 15 until they can swim again. There's no time set aside for children above 6 yrs old, limiting small children, so what is up? Lap swimmers have it until 11, which is great, but why on earth would you take a mid day hour and limit it to just those under 6 yrs old-we have waited years to actually use it!!!! I pay a bloody fortune in taxes, and now our public pool is making it hard just to swim in our neighborhood pool. Seriously, does anyone actually think through this stuff??? read more

Love this pool! I've been coming here for a few years and I am never disappointed. It's free and you just walk in with no hassle. If you get here at noon, you should be able to snag a chair which are super comfortable. However, even if all the chairs are taken, people come and go frequently so I've always been able to get one eventually. It's a standard pool...nothing fancy. It starts at about 2 ft deep and goes to about 8 ft. There are more young adults here (25 and up) than any other age group. There are some young families with kids which is actually pretty entertaining to watch the lil munckins in the water. Ahh...to be young again. There are a few 10 minute breaks where everyone has to exit the water...even the adults. At about 3 p.m., the lifeguards make an announcement that open swim is over. It's a bit confusing because it's not really over. The pool is cleared for 20 minutes and then everyone can enter the water again until about 5. Oh and you can bring games, toys, etc in the water. No rafts or anything but if you want to throw a football around or whatever, you can. There is no food or beverages offered in the pool but there are several ice cream vendors that work the park. You can bring in drinks but no coolers as I've witnessed some people try to do. read more

I am giving this park four stars because I haven't checked out the pool yet and I am waiting not so patiently for summer to come.... I love this neighborhood park. In the summer, it is always full of activity. The dog park is really clean and nice...they always have fresh water (again, will review once I finally get my pup this summer....) The tennis courts are pretty nice, and they tend to be open a lot during the weekends. The only downside? If you aren't a great tennis player (like me) and hit an errant ball...it could end up in dog park. If you are not quick enough to jump over the fence, a pooch could pick up your ball and before long, it is too slobbery to play tennis. The softball fields are always full of little league teams or crazy adult teams that are fun to watch. It is a great way to see your neighbors out and about. It is pretty easy to get too as well, as you can just hop on the Damen bus or walk down Wellington. I cant wait to hang out here more this summer...and try out the pool!!! read more

Hamlin park pool is great. I went with a group of 5 adults and we all enjoyed ourselves. It is clean, frequent turnover (we got lounge chairs pretty quickly), and EASY. The beach, although close by, is always more of a SANDY hassle than a pool day. The life guards are great and even looked out for us adults when kids nearby were splashing. We will definitely be back. Hidden water oasis in Lakeview/Roscoe Village! read more

1 Star - Booooo !!!! I took my Lad to the field house in December to play some basketball. It turns out that there are two courts, a large and a small. While it may have been true in the past that the gym use was free, this is no longer the case. There was one guy working who was teaching some kinder-activity class. No other non-janitorial employ appeared to be there. There was nobody at the front desk, and we waited for 5 minutes. So, we went to the large gym (where we met kinder-boy), and stood there for 10 minutes, basket ball in hand ... and were completely ignored. I finally had to ask out loud if there was someone who worked there who could answer some questions. The guy, annoyed, said he was in the middle of teaching a class. If I were him, and I saw two clueless looking people enter the gym, I would have at least acknowledged them and given them 20 seconds to either explain that I'd be able to help them in 20 minutes, or direct them to ask my colleague at the front desk (who in this case, was nowhere to be found) to provide assistance. The fact that you have to pay a ransom for the gym use, and the fact that guy was pretty much a douche has really turned me off to the place. read more

This would be a great park. It has it's own separate dog park and signs everywhere around this very large park and playground stating "No Dogs." People think they are so special because their dog doesn't need a leash. Who cares. Your dog doesn't know my kids and I don't know your dog. Put your dog on a leash out of respect for your neighbors, A-hole. read more

Hamlin Park - Thanks Rahm for the exceptional public school system that keeps neighborhood kids out of their neighborhood school. - Parks Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The equipment at this playground area is a bit dated, but at the same time it's still fun and functional. My 3 year old son was tearing through it and having a blast. The park also featured a basketball area, a baseball diamond, and a pool, I believe. Seems like a really nice place to kick it in the Spring. Enjoy Suckas'!!! read more

Love this park! Hamlin Park is home to our Tuesday night softball league and I am a big fan of the clean fields and bright lights, making it easy to play a night game. They also have a pool, playground and dog park. read more

I've been loving the Hamlin Park; really, mostly the pool. The large, glorious pool. I moved nearby the park last fall and discovered the outdoor pool while it was still too cold out to enjoy, so I eagerly waited to try it out while the weather warmed up. Earlier this summer, on a particularly hot/sweaty day, I had an intense urge to get to the pool asap and swim my heart out. So I did. I had a few hours left in the 'open swim' window (early afternoon on a Sunday), so I hot footed it to the pool and waited in a relatively fast-moving line. The pool had reached capacity of 300 people, so no one was allowed in until someone left (a good thing). Once I gained entry through the (pearly) gate and found a spot, I left my belongings and jumped in. It was great - it's a huge pool with lots of space around to lie your towel/bag, on tidy cement flooring. There are lounge chairs around too, but they fill up quick. *Yes, there are a lot of children. Yes, it gets noisy. Yes, it's a *public* pool - so you're bound to encounter people from all walks of life (babies/youngin's with their parents, rowdy teens :-| , older folks) - all that being said, it's been a most enjoyable experience each time I've been here. Lifeguards patrol the pool quite sternly (they yell at people for splashing, hanging on the middle divider, kids going into the deep end), it seems clean and well maintained, and it's supremely refreshing on hot summer days. I need to take advantage of this more while it's still hot out! The park also offers lots of classes & activities in their large building/gyms. Very nice! read more

A great park that's got it all -- wide open spaces, a dog park, a pool, paved paths. Since we have moved to Lakeview, it has become one of my favorite spots. They also have a kids' playground area which is shady in the summer, not usually packed, and covered in soft wood chips. Now if it summer could only come! read more

Love the entire place. A friendly community inside and out. It has a small playground, a big plain grassy spot where people can play or relax, baseball diamonds, basketball courts, a dog park, and even a pool. It truly does have it all. The premier park for Lakeview. It's a great place with the perfect atmosphere. read more

Pool is still fabulous as always. You know what else is great? The boxing class at Hamlin Park. This is Chicago Park District's best deal. It's $43 a session -- which is 14 weeks long. Plus, the classes are every Mon, Wed, Thurs, Fri from 7-9 and Sat from 10-12. You can come whenever you want and stay for the full two hours or shorter. Best. Deal. Ever. The instructor is in his (I think) 70s and seems to have been teaching for years. Everyone knows him by name (Bill). He's fantastic. My friend, my fiance, and I decided to take boxing as a way to get some more cardio in. The first class we came in, we did a quick jumproping as warm up, and then he started us on shadowboxing (how to move). Most of the classes now, Bill shows us a new move and we practice on the bags. The class is very freeform as there are a bunch of other people in there training and boxing. Depending on the amount of people, you may have to rotate into a body bag, speed bag, etc. The other boxers are really great too as they don't mind if we spar against them. And the workout! Last week, the following muscles hurt for two days: pecs, triceps, biceps, shoulders, back, and abs. Boxing for an hour or so doesn't feel like work. I will definitely be continuing boxing next session. read more

Are you sick of the hoopla that goes with going to the beach? The abysmal parking, the sand in all your crevices, lack of bathrooms, icky Lake Michigan water... it's, well, less than desirable. And unless you're lucky enough to have a rooftop deck pool, chances are your tan isn't nearly as slammin' as you want it to be this summer. So unless you want to lay out in your alley, you gots to hit up one of Chicago's public pools. I'm a fan of Hamlin Park's pool. First, it's huge. Second, it's chlorinated, so (hopefully) clean. Third, there's no sand. Big, big wins. I equate the crowd to "North Beach Lite." Your basic mix up of 20 somethings working on their tans with some neighborhood kids splashing in the pool and a few Roscoe Village families thrown in for good measure. Here's the one big problem with Hamlin Park pool, though. Serious lack of chairs. Unless you barrel in there right when the pool opens, you don't have a shot in hell of getting a chaise lounge, so be prepared to camp out on the hard concrete. read more

Adding a star back because the bag was fixed. I'll add more if they continue attending to the basics. We're getting there Hamlin..

When it's so hot that the thought of beach sand sticking to your nether regions is not appealing, check out one of the free city pools. Hamlin Park pool is a great place to lounge away a hot summer day. If you get there early, you can score a sweet lounge chair (which are a new addition this summer...woot!). I've been frequenting this pool for a few summers now, and I sort of hope it remains a semi-kept secret. Yay for summer in the city! read more

First timers must read!!! Ugh where to start....pros or cons??? Oh, how about cons. This place has some of the rudest people working there. I'm sorry you have to sit in the sweltering heat fully clothed all day, but spare me your attitude. I called this morning to see what time the pool opened & if I could bring my own chair (since I read they run out quick). The answer was 11am and no. Ok. So I hurry & get there at 1130 to have people tell me that I can't go in until 1pm. Then why did you just tell me on the phone that I could come at 11am? Whatever. It's hot today and I need a pool. I went back home for a few & decided to go back around 1230 so I could be sure to get a chair. To my surprise, when I show up there is literally a crowd of people standing in quite possibly the worst line I've ever seen. At the time I didn't know there was a line-up procedure (really? are we in Kindergarten?) and these girls in line were giving me the look of death for not following procedure. Soooorrrrrryyyyyy. I didn't know that we were at some exclusive pool with rules in a high rise instead of a public pool within the park district. Finally someone directed me to the line. A girl next to me in line kindly explained the ridiculous procedure & to run when the doors opened in order to get a chair. The guys line was shorter than the girls so girls were telling guys to save 3, 4, 5 chairs since they would get in quicker. WHAT?! I thought great I've spent 2 hours trying to get into this pool and now I'm going to be without chair and relief. Finally they let everyone in & the girl was right. You run to get a chair. So ridiculous. Oh and the bathrooms in the locker room do not have sinks to wash your hands. However they do have soap dispensers in the shower, so go figure. Amidst all that ridiculousness, I managed to find some pros. It's like 95 today & the pool was ICE cold, huge, and clean, which felt amazing. I did manage to get a chair, but I had to scramble to avoid the hoarders. You can bring in a cooler, snacks, etc. The pool felt so nice I will probably go back, but it is debatable whether or not the unwritten pool procedures are worth the headache. read more

Love the pool but why do the life guards reserve seats for themselves? I'm here right now and they have 3 chairs reserved that they use every hour for 10 minutes. Doesn't seem fair, they are working and this pool is for the public to use... Including the chairs. read more

A free pool you seriously cannot bet that. It's starting to get cold and I really miss being able to jet over to the Hamlin pool to cool off. Even without the pool it's a great park, nice tennis courts ,good softball fields (even if that wasn't my team's sports), plus this is where Player's Sports does their Dodgeball team...so basically awesome all around. read more

Beautiful park with tennis courts, a dog park, pool, and baseball diamonds. Its a pretty good crowd over here (I live across the street) and has a little playground for the kiddies. Safe park, great place to take the family and enjoy the summer! read more

Great pool in the neighborhood. Lots of lounge chairs for laying out (even though you should get there early because everyone else does). Great for sun bathing and swimming if you're not in the mood of the beach. Also easy street parking! read more

Hamlin Park Boxing is the real deal! It's a small, rugged gym but their boxing coach Bill is top notch and they have a ton of good boxers there. And it's dirt cheap, $30! Park district boxing is a staple of Chicago and Hamlin Park is the reason why. Your gonna learn how to box over there. They also have a lot of kids boxing there as well as teens and women. Bill trains anyone who's willing to put in the work. read more

Hamlin Park pool is a great alternative to the beach on a hot summer day--or, a great alternative to your friend's building's pool when said friend is out of town. I've only been twice but I know I'll be back. The good things about this place--it's free, parking is usually relatively easy (also free), it's big, it's cold, it's clean. The bad--it gets crowded super early, lounge chairs are few and far between, hours are somewhat confusing. For example, they say adult swim is from 11 - 12 and then it's open from 12 - 3. But when we got there at noon it was already packed and all of the chairs were taken. I'm not entirely sure what "adult swim" means--maybe that other people (kids) can be there at 11 but can't get in the pool til 12? In any case, I'd highly advise getting there early if you want to snag a chair and a good spot. read more

We tried out the pool at Hamlin Park today and were unsure what to expect. It was a little tricky to find, but we quickly figured out that the pool entrance is through the locker rooms in the main building. We laid our beach towels right down in two perfect spots on the concrete and baked a little before cooling off in the fairly frigid, but refreshing pool. About an hour after arriving, two lounge chairs opened up for us, which topped off the experience at a solid 4 stars. We will be re-visiting this pool again this summer, as it's a great alternative to North or Montrose beach. Make sure to bring some water, but in case you forget there is a couple vending machines. read more

I am a big fan of this park! The park is large with great baseball fields and a large pool. On this 90 degree day, it was excellent to walk down the street to the cool waters and take a half an hour dip. The rest of the day I felt chilled out and relaxed, much better then before. Plus, it is free! How can you beat that? I'm a fan! read more

I have been going here since I was a kiddo. I love the park itself with the playground and wide open spaces. I especially like the basketball court (although sometimes crowded with teenagers) also I love the pool it's cold but its medium sized and USUALLY not really crowded it just depends on the temperature read more

There is not much to love about this park. I play tennis here 2 - 3 X per week and the staff are great too, especially Rich and Jose.

I will pronounce myself as official historian for Hamlin Park at least for the years 1925 through 1943. I am now 92 year old and in good health, thank you Hamlin Park. My family owned a grocery store directly across the street from the park at the corner of Damen and Nelson. Going to the park was a daily event for me. Used the library, the tennis courts and the frigid swimming pool. Went to Lane Tech the first year it opened in this area, 1934, but couldn't handle it before transfering to Lake View High. I recall the Hamlin Hanks football team-. Whitey Stranberg, the toughest, nicest little guy in lthe neighborhood.The baseball team with Niggy Schmidt the best pitcher (and gentleman) around. Ah those were the days. Finished college at the U. of Southern California and then worked for Hughes Aircraft in the field of electronics where advanced radars were built for fighter planes. read more

Lovely pool, great resource for neighborhood. Play area lovely and we often attend their summer outdoor events here. They did a great Easter egg hunt last year, hope they do it again this year! read more

Pool water ice cold. Locker rooms are decent, clean most of the time. Staff can be unpleasant at times. Recommend going early to grab a lounge chair or you will have to sit on the cement. read more

Five Stars might be a slight exaggeration given the fact that I haven't been to Hamlin Park for many, many years. However, it sounds like it is still going strong and may even be better than my childhood memories reflect. As a kid, Hamlin Park was a hub of activity for kids including the fine swimming pool in the summer and the ice-skating rink in the winter (complete with warming hut). Sports, dance classes and big recitals each year framed the seasons for the local kids and families. Safe playgrounds and CYO camps rounded out the year. Perhaps, best of all was the branch of the Chicago Public Library where we got our first library cards and where reading was as important as all the other activities. Three Cheers for Hamlin Park! read more